One of my budgies, who I have in a breeding cage at the moment with her mate..has laid one egg 2 days ago. I have never watched the females when they are incubating their eggs, but this time I was..she had the egg under her but kept turning around and moving around with the egg under her...is this normal? If not, what on earth is she doing? She wasn't trying to hide it from me, I left and came back a little while later, and I didn't even look and I could still hear her doing that..

She seems to be trying to incubate it, but I felt it once just after she hopped out of the nest and it wasn't even warm..it's like she doesn't even know how to incubate it?!

What can I do? She has never bred before, she is about 2 years old.

Two days means she is about to lay the next egg. That is what she is doing. About to lay an egg. They dont incubate from day one anyway, so she is just in there to lay the next egg, not incubate.

Okay I know she is due to lay an egg today, I've just never actually watched them do this in the nest lol, so it is kind of a new experience. Good to know nothing is wrong. Thanks. :sad:

Okay I know she is due to lay an egg today, I've just never actually watched them do this in the nest lol, so it is kind of a new experience. Good to know nothing is wrong. Thanks. :sad:

Stop checking her ...you will make her anxious

Yep I have stopped. I was just wondering what all the noise (from her scratching at the wood and moving around) was about. :sad:

Better to ask and find out it was nothing and it turn out to actually be something.

:sad:

relax,let nature take its course.

Sorry about posting heaps about this pair I am breeding..but I have another question. The mum laid her second egg on Friday, and her third was due on Sunday..but, for the first time since she began laying these eggs, she slept out of the nestbox..and in the morning she hopped back in but the eggs were ice-cold. She hasn't even laid her third egg yet, it was due yesterday. Anyway, would the eggs still be okay? Because she may not have been actually incubating them all the time so they could still be fine for their little night alone, right?

 

I candled the oldest egg today, (it is 5 days old) and what I saw was kind of weird. I have never candled eggs before, (I just let them hatch or not hatch whenever, it was suprise whether they would or not) so this might be a stupid question! With the youngest egg, it is like a new egg, a circle of yellow in the middle that is the yolk, and the rest is white.

With the second egg, the yolk has spread so the entire middle of the egg is yellow, with a bit of white and a faint air bubble at the top. The middle of the yolk has this bit of red and some little bits of red around it...It doesn't look like the pics of veins in a fertile egg, but obviously it is fertile considering there is some red..What is it, seeing as it doesn't look like veins yet but there is something there...I can't post you's a picture of it, I can't get the camera to acutally pick up what the torch is showing inside the egg, so I hope the description is good enough?

Thanks in advance for any help.

I believe I already told you that they dont sit and keep eggs warm from the beginning so please stop panicking about that part of it

and the egg you described is FERTILE

As this is a follow on from your last topic...I will merge it to you other one...no need for new topics every time

I believe I already told you that they dont sit and keep eggs warm from the beginning so please stop panicking about that part of it

and the egg you described is FERTILE

As this is a follow on from your last topic...I will merge it to you other one...no need for new topics every time

 

Yes you did, but she has been at least in the nest all day for the last 4 days, and incubating them from what I've seen...sorry about worrying so much about that though..I just want to make sure lol.

Yay so it is fertile! Awesome. It just doesn't look like pics I've seen of a 5 day old fertile egg, with veins etc. That means the second egg is fertile as well, it is showing signs of developing the same look the older one is.

Okay thanks for merging them.

And sorry again about asking about this so much, this is the first time I've bred in a breeding cabinet (as my first pair wouldn't breed in anything but an avairy) so the first time I've actually been able to see all this. Guess I'm kind of nervous lol.

You need to relax, and walk away. No wonder she is juping around. You are making her nervous. Give her a chance.

Eggs can go 10 days before she had to sit all the time. I try not to handle the eggs and just let nature take it course. Budgies are great as they will le tyou take a peak but if do it to much you can chase her off the eggs

Yup I'm only checking twice a day at most, which is as much as you normally need to check for new eggs or check on the babies right? I am trying not to stress her out.

I check my guys once a day while they are laying and even then it is a lift count eggs and lower operation. (10 sec tops)

 

When I have about 5 eggs I do not check them again for 18 days and then check once a day and again that is a lift and count and go.

 

When the babies hatch I mark on the nest box card the day and then I check twice a day to make sure crops are full and the babies are being feed. I do not touch the chicks or the eggs untill the 10 day mark which is when I ring the babies.

 

It has taken me a while to get my nerves down to only checking this amount and even then my breeding partner comes over and checks them as well so they get a few extra checks in there but I try and keep it down to no more then two a day less if I can.

 

Since I have started this I have had less smashed eggs and less flattened babies. I think I over checked the first few round I have done and since these are are the same hens I figure it was me that caused the interference and issues the first time around

Check laying hens once a day......you could check every two days as thats when eggs arrive...but every day just once ensures you havent got a hen in the nest who is eggbound and struggling.If you want eggs that wont hatch due to being ADDLED ( shaken up and killed chicks inside ) then by all means keep checking twice a day and scare the hen. Please tap gently on the nestbox so she has time to step aside for you to check ONCE a day. An anxious owner/breeder can transfer anxiety onto the bird and muck things up.Relax, and allow the hen to relax and be a calm mother. While you are relaxing read through our FAQ section, as all this info is in there for you to read. Print out some info sheets and make up a file. Read and relax.

 

 

 

PS and never pick up and remove an egg from the nest just to candle it...do it IN the nestbox without touching it at all.

you did, but she has been at least in the nest all day for the last 4 days, and incubating them from what I've seen

ALL day either indicates you are OVERCHECKING the nestbox or assuming she has been in there all day.

Edited February 16, 200916 yr by KAZ

I have left this pair alone for the last week or so..but..I checked a few days ago and egg number 3 (which was her last for the clutch, she didn't lay any more) was gone. All that remained was half the egg shell and yolk. Then this morning the other two were completely destroyed in the same way, which tiny pieces of egg shell all around the nest. I didn't know which parent did it and how, so I put in a fake egg to see what happened. (don't worry, I did not bug them and they did not realize I was there when I did check, before anyone worries!)

The female tucked it under her for a little while, then she put her foot on it and began gnawing on it and kicking it around..eventually she cracked it and began to try to eat it. The egg I used was an infertile one from a little while ago I had emptied and boiled in case I would need to use it.

 

I don't know where any topics are one what to do with an egg-eating hen, but I think I have read somewhere to put a marble in the nest, and if she tries to eat it she will fail dismally of course, and it might stop her from eating the rest of her eggs? I did that and she tried to eat it for a little while then gave up. But she is due to lay another egg today, (and has very obvious 'egg bum') so what do I do? Did I do it right putting the marble in the nest, is there any other way to stop her, and why is she doing this anyway? She faithfully incubated them but the oldest was due to hatch in 5 days when she killed it!!

While I was waiting for a reply the budgie laid her egg. She didn't appear to do anything with it that I saw but I quickly put it in another pair's nest. (who are proven to be great parents)

I'll foster out 2 more eggs she lays, then let her keep the rest and try to raise them..if she has stopped. This egg now was a bit early-I'd give her longer to prove she isn't going to eat more-so I fostered that one. The next two I'll give to other parents so if she does kill her eggs (if she does I will take out the nest and give her a nice loong break) then at least they will have some offspring.

Still, I need to know why she is doing this, what more I can do to stop it, and if she is okay to breed from ever again? (or if I just can't trust her to actually keep her own eggs)

Thanks.

Edited February 25, 200916 yr by Jen144

Is anyone able to help? I'm sorry if I'm being impatient but I really need to know why this is happening and what I can do before she lays her next egg.

I don't know why she is doing this, she is in breeding condition..is undisturbed..has plenty of calcium..etc.

Egg eating may mean a number of things.

 

1) You really have been checking too much and she has become distressed or nervous.

2) She is not as in condition as you think, and eating the eggs has returned nutrients that she is low on.

3) She is too young / inexperienced and needs to be returned to the aviary and tried again at the end of this year or same time next year.

4) She is not a good mother and needs to have eggs fostered to other hens and replaced with fakes.

5) Something else is distressing her (mice, bugs, cats, noise)

Edited February 25, 200916 yr by Dean_NZ

Egg eating may mean a number of things.

 

1) You really have been checking too much and she has become distressed or nervous.

2) She is not as in condition as you think, and eating the eggs has returned nutrients that she is low on.

3) She is too young / inexperienced and needs to be returned to the aviary and tried again at the end of this year or same time next year.

4) She is not a good mother and needs to have eggs fostered to other hens and replaced with fakes.

5) Something else is distressing her (mice, bugs, cats, noise)

 

Dean has given you good advice Jen. Please heed it - especially the bit about transmitting you anxiety to the hen.

Egg eating may mean a number of things.

 

1) You really have been checking too much and she has become distressed or nervous.

2) She is not as in condition as you think, and eating the eggs has returned nutrients that she is low on.

3) She is too young / inexperienced and needs to be returned to the aviary and tried again at the end of this year or same time next year.

4) She is not a good mother and needs to have eggs fostered to other hens and replaced with fakes.

5) Something else is distressing her (mice, bugs, cats, noise)

 

1) okay well I can't have been doing that, I have left her alone since the last post was made here about checking once in the evening and once in the morning being too much..

2) The reason I think she is, is because her cere is a light brown all over and turning darker and she has been chewing on everything. She has cuttlefish, calcium supplements, egg and biscuit food, and veges all the time..

3) She is 2 years old (turning 3 late this year) and has never bred before.

4) Well she incubated them great until suddenly she decided to eat them.

5) I have one cat but she cannot go near where the birds are. The cat makes so there are no mice..I don't know about bugs, and there is no abnormal amount of noise recently.

 

So what do you think the most likely cause is? I think it is because she is inexperienced, that seems the most likely option...but I don't know so any help is really appreciated. Also on how to get her to stop if she ever does it again..(if she doesn't, I'm going to give it a few days and put in a fake egg again, if she hasn't stopped I will simply take out the nest and give both birds a nice long break.)

I quickly put it in another pair's nest. (who are proven to be great parents)

 

Does this other pair have eggs at the same age or stage as these eggs ?

 

I believe a combination of the hens inexperience and your initial anxiety and overchecking may have conditioned this hen to become anxious/nervous...hence the egg eating.

I quickly put it in another pair's nest. (who are proven to be great parents)

 

Does this other pair have eggs at the same age or stage as these eggs ?

 

I believe a combination of the hens inexperience and your initial anxiety and overchecking may have conditioned this hen to become anxious/nervous...hence the egg eating.

 

 

Yes they do, in fact a new egg was laid a little while before I put in the other pair's egg. (on the same day)

 

Yeah what you said seems to be the best explaination..and I believe you are right.

She will calm down now though, she is left in peace (and has been for the last week or more as I have mentioned) etc so she will be fine if I let her raise her own clutch once she seems to have settled down?

 

I've left her with her marble so she can't actually eat it (funny, it is larger than any budgie's egg and has a bit of colour on it-it was the best thing I could find at short notice-and she immediatly accepted it because it 'must be an egg, it's round and white..ish..lol) and she is happy to incubate it..I think I will foster out her second egg as well, but let her keep her third and any others she lays? Would that be enough time so she might stop eating them?

I think I will foster out her second egg as well, but let her keep her third and any others she lays? Would that be enough time so she might stop eating them?

 

You will have to decide this based on her behaviour.

Edited February 26, 200916 yr by KAZ

I have left this pair alone for the last week or so..but..I checked a few days ago and egg number 3 (which was her last for the clutch, she didn't lay any more) was gone. All that remained was half the egg shell and yolk. Then this morning the other two were completely destroyed in the same way, which tiny pieces of egg shell all around the nest. I didn't know which parent did it and how, so I put in a fake egg to see what happened. (don't worry, I did not bug them and they did not realize I was there when I did check, before anyone worries!)

The female tucked it under her for a little while, then she put her foot on it and began gnawing on it and kicking it around..eventually she cracked it and began to try to eat it. The egg I used was an infertile one from a little while ago I had emptied and boiled in case I would need to use it.

 

I don't know where any topics are one what to do with an egg-eating hen, but I think I have read somewhere to put a marble in the nest, and if she tries to eat it she will fail dismally of course, and it might stop her from eating the rest of her eggs? I did that and she tried to eat it for a little while then gave up. But she is due to lay another egg today, (and has very obvious 'egg bum') so what do I do? Did I do it right putting the marble in the nest, is there any other way to stop her, and why is she doing this anyway? She faithfully incubated them but the oldest was due to hatch in 5 days when she killed it!!

I would not breed from this hen or her offspring,i have found this to be a heredity problem.

Edited March 10, 200916 yr by corka